Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been at Liverpool for six years, and in that time he has gone from being a crucial starter to an afterthought. Despite this, his time at Anfield should be viewed fondly. The £35 million outlay in 2017 has amounted to 146 appearances, with 18 goals and 13 assists, however his story on Merseyside has been sadly blighted by injuries.
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s arrival at Liverpool served as a primer for the way in which Michael Edwards would operate as sporting director. Edwards was officially appointed to the role towards the end of 2016, months after initial reports of interest in Oxlade-Chamberlain broke in the English press. Despite Jurgen Klopp’s initial denial of the transfer, eight months later Oxlade-Chamberlain was a Liverpool player.
It took the Englishman time to adjust to the demands of Klopp’s system, but amid his bit-part appearances there were clear signs of things to come. A goal seconds after Manuel Lanzini reduced the deficit, on a visit to West Ham in November, gave Oxlade-Chamberlain a defining image as he celebrated before the London Stadium bubbles had been given a chance to pop. By December, he had become a regular starter – and importantly, in his preferred central midfield role, a wildcard alongside the more functional Gini Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson.
His grandstand moment came in the Champions League quarter-finals, when Liverpool decimated Man City over two legs – winning 5-1 on aggregate – with Oxlade-Chamberlain scoring a stunner in the 3-0 opener at Anfield. Unfortunately, two weeks after the second leg at the Etihad, Oxlade-Chamberlain’s progress was halted irrevocably. Starting Oxlade-Chamberlain in the semi-final against AS Roma was a no-brainer; he had earned his shirt and become one of the most important players in Klopp’s side. It was a night already tinged by the shocking scenes outside Anfield before kickoff, though Liverpool were able produce a defiant performance and win 5-2. Before Mohamed Salah had struck the first of two goals against his former side, however, Oxlade-Chamberlain had been forced off due to a serious knee ligament injury.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has been largely fit over the past three campaigns, but another long-term knee injury during pre-season in 2020 proved his sliding doors moment. With Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott developing as first-team regulars, too, Oxlade-Chamberlain found himself more of a spare part. A break-glass solution, the majority of his starts over the past three seasons have come over the busy festive period and into January.
When his name booms out over the tannoy at Anfield on the final home game of the season, Oxlade-Chamberlain deserves a hero’s send-off. His time at Liverpool may not have been what he’d hoped those six years ago, but it has still been valuable – including his influence on the likes of Joe Gomez, Rhian Brewster and Layton Stewart during their own lengthy layoffs. Even this season, he was spotted giving advice to Ben Doak and Bobby Clark during the under-21s’ clash with Chelsea at the AXA Training Centre. He could have been the missing piece in Klopp’s midfield puzzle, but instead he served as the conduit to a successful, more industrious unit that allowed Salah, Mane and Roberto Firmino to fire Liverpool to silverware. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will bow out having gone from crucial starter to an afterthought, but his time at Liverpool should be viewed fondly.